A routine Walmart trip ended with a razor blade and an injured hand.

Cheryl and Mel Johnson were shopping late at night in Windsor, Connecticut, when a blade protruding from their cart handle turned an ordinary errand into an alarming discovery. The injury was minor, but the discovery raised an unsettling question about who else might face that dang…

Cheryl and Mel Johnson’s late-night visit to a Walmart in Windsor, Connecticut, took a disturbing turn when Mel hurt his hand on a razor blade protruding from a shopping cart handle.

After the discovery, store staff inspected the remaining carts and found no additional blades. Police suggested the blade might have been left as a prank or used by shoplifters, but those possibilities did not establish how it ended up there.

Fortunately, Mel’s injury was minor.

A similar incident reported in North Dakota in 2015 shows this was not the first such discovery. The possibility of a child encountering a blade makes the danger especially troubling.

Shoppers can take a moment to check handles before using carts and alert employees to anything suspicious.

Retailers also have a role: regular inspections, appropriate security measures, and clear reporting procedures can help address hazards before another ordinary shopping trip ends with someone hurt.